Productive person Merlin Mann says the worst case of procrastination can be remedied with what he calls a dash, or a short burst of focused activity.

Say "cleaning out the closet" has languished, untouched, on your to-do list for months. Over time the dreaded task has grown larger and more horrifying in your mind. Here's what to do: break out the kitchen timer, set it to 8 minutes, and dive into the closet. When the timer sounds, STOP. Eight minutes is doable, right?

By making even the most modest bit of progress on your hated task, you ve done what once seemed impossible: you got started. When you realize how much of the anxiety you d experienced was created in your head, you ll experience huge relief and give yourself the jolt needed to get back on track.
You can do a dash any time and for virtually any kind of project. The task has not been conceived that cannot be made smaller and more dash-able.